Perez dropped to 22nd after gearbox change

Sergio Perez has been relegated to 22nd on the grid after qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.

The Mexican driver was forced to change his gearbox after Q2, and will be dropped 5 places for tomorrow’s race. It was this gearbox issue that halted him from setting a time in Q2.

Perez said that he was still adjusting his car in Q1 when the failure occurred:

"We made some set-up changes to the car today and in Q1 I was busy adapting my
driving style a bit.
In Q2 I knew exactly what to do but then I could not shift any more because of
a gearbox problem. It is a true shame as there was a lot more to come from the
car and from myself."

Perez was disqualified from last year’s Australian Grand Prix result following a rear wing technical infringement.

Seeing as neither HRT will start the race, Sergio will be the last driver on the grid.